Thill-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT EIcE.

ULRICH OHLSEN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,456, dated September 29, 1896.

Application filed February 1'7, 1896. Serial No. 579,6 84. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ULRICH OHLSEN, a citizen of the United States of America,residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplin gs;

and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,'which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in chill-couplings; and it consists of the features hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device shown in connection with the fore axle, to which it is attached. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the device with the thill-iron in place. Fig. 3 is a perspective view in detail of the body of the coupling, (termed the bracket in this specification,) the spring locking-key being shown in place. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the thill-iron.

Similar reference-characters indicate corresponding parts in the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the fore axle of the vehicle, and 6 the clip, to which the bracket 7 of the coupling is fastened by means of a bolt 8, which passes through an aperture 7, formed in a lug 7 of the bracket. Forward of thelug 7 c the bracket is provided with a socket 7, which is open in front and on one side to receive the thill-iron 9. In the top and bottom of the bracket are formed apertures adapted to register with an aperture formed in the head 9 of the thill-iron when the latter is in position. The thill-iron is fastened to the coupling by means of a tapering or slightly conical pin 10, adapted to fit tightly in the coinciding apertures of the bracket and the thill-iron head. The top of the pin 10 is preferably provided with wings,

like a thumb-screw, to facilitate its manipulation by hand. The lower extremity of the pin" projects below the bracket and is provided with a circumferential groove 10. The pin 10 is locked in place by the key 12. This key is preferably formed integral from apiece of spring-wire and comprises the vertical shank 12, the spring-head 12, the vertical upper extremity 12, and the lower extremity 12 bent at right angles to the shank. The part 12 of this key passes through an aperture formed in the rear of the bracket between the lug 7 and the socket 7 The part 12 is bent outward and upward from the shank and thence over and downward, terminating in the extremity 12, adapted to engage a recess 10, formed in the top of the pin. The lower extremity 12 of the key is adapted to engage the groove or recess 10*, formed in the lower extremity of the pin. When the key is in the position described, or that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pin 10 is locked in place, since the key cannot move upward or leave the bracket.

To unlock the pin, it is only necessary to bend the top of the key upwardly sufficiently to disengage it from the recess 10 in the top of the pin; The key has sufficient spring or resilience to permit this. As soon as the top of the key is disengaged'from the pin the key may be turned sufficiently to release the lower extremity of the pin from the part 12 of the key. The pin may then be raised and the thill-iron released. As before stated, the bracket-socket is open in front and on one side. The front opening, however, is somewhat contracted by two jaws 7 g and 7 The jaw 7 extends'below the top of the socket and the jaw 7 extends above the bottom of the same sufficiently to form bearings for shoulders 9 and 9, formed on the head of the thill-iron, whereby the said head is pre vented from passing through the opening in the front part of the bracket, but is free to pass through the opening in'the side thereof when the pin 10 is released.

- The two couplings for a pair of shafts are identical in construction that. is to say, the side openings of both brackets are on the same side, so that when the pins 10 are removed the shafts may be detached from the vehicle by a lateral thrust in the direction of the said openings in the brackets. Hence if one pin 10 by an y accident should be removed from the bracket the shafts would still re main in place, since, for reasons before stated, they cannot be detached until both pins are removed.

The jaws '7 and 7 have preferably short lateral extensions, which are tapered or rounded to increase the width between them. The function of these extensions is to guide the thillirous and thereby facilitate the placin g of the shafts in position.

From the foregoing description the use of the device will be readily understood. The brackets being attached to the fore axle of the vehicle, the heads of the thill-irons attached to the shaft or pole of the vehicle are inserted in the sockets 7 of the brackets by passing the said heads between the jaws 7 and 7 from the side. The pins 10 are then inserted in the registering apertures formed in the brackets and thill-iron heads, the keys 12 being turned to one side (see Fig. 3) to allow the pins to enter. The top of each key is then sprung upward by virtue of its resilience sufficiently to allow the extremity 12 to pass over the top of the pin, which is then turned to a position directly in line with the vertical center of the pin. This movement causes the part to enter the groove in the lower extremity of the key. The top is then released and the extremity 12 enters the re cess 10 in the top of the pin, thus effectually locking the latter in place. To detach the shafts from the vehicle or remove the thilliron heads from the brackets, the operation just described is reversed.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the bracket having a socket open in the front and on one side, and having apertures formed in the top and bottom, the thill-iron having a head adapted to enter said socket, said head being apertured to register with the apertures in the top and bottom of the bracket, the pin adapted to engage the apertures in the bracket and thill-iron head, said pinhaving a recess in its upper extremity and a suitable recess or circumferential groove formed near its lower extremity, and the spring locking key passing through the bracket, its lower extremity being bent to engage the groove near the lower extremity of the pin, while the top of the key is adapted to enter a recess in the top of the pin, substantially as described.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the bracket having a socket open in front and on one side, adapted to be fastened to the fore axle of the vehicle, and having apertures formed in its top and bottom, the thilliron adapted to engage the socket of the said bracket and apertured to register with the bracketapertures, the pin adapted to engage the registering apertures in the bracket and thill-iron, said pin projecting both above and below the bracket and having recesses formed in its protruding extremities, and a locking-key attached to the bracket, said key having its lower extremity bent to engage the recess in the lower part of the pin while its upper extremity is formed into a spring-hook adapted to engage the recess in the top of the key, substantially as described.

3. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the bracket adapted to be fastened to the fore axle of a vehicle, the bracket having a socket open in front and one side, and provided in front with upper and lower jaws projecting respectively below the top and above the bottom of the socket, said bracket having apertures formed in its top and bottom, the thill-iron having a head fashioned to engage the bracket-socket, and apertured to coincide with the apertures in the bracket, and having shoulders engaging the front jaws of the bracket, the pin passing through the registering apertures of the bracket and thilliron, and suitable means attached to the bracket for locking the pin in place, substantially as described.

at. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the hollow bracket adapted to be connected with the fore axle of a vehicle, having a socket open in front and on one side, front upper and lower jaws projecting respectively below the top and above the bottom of the bracket, said jaws projecting laterally from the body of the bracket, and tapered or rounded to increase the distance between their outer extremities, said bracket having apertures formed in the top and bottom; the thill-iron having an apertured head adapted to enter the bracket-socket, and shouldered to engage the front jaws of the bracket, a pin adapted to engage the registering apertures of the thill-iron and bracket, and suitable means for locking the pin in place, substantially as described.

5. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the hollow bracket open in front and on one side and having apertures formed in its top and bottom, the thill-iron adapted to engage the bracket-soeket and apertured to. coincide with the bracket-apertures, a conical or tapering pin engaging the apertures of the thill-iron and bracket, and suitable means for locking the pin in place, substantially as described.

6. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the hollow bracket open in front and on one side, and having apertures formed in its top and bottom, the thill-iron having an apertured head adapted to engage the bracket-socket, the pin engaging the coinciding apertures in the bracket and thill-iron, said pin projecting both above and below the bracket, and pro- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature vided with recesses formed in its protruding in the presence of two Witnesses. extremities, and a locking-key attached to the bracket and adapted. to engage the pro- ULRICH OHLSEN.

5 truding extremities of the pin, one extremity W'itnesses:

of= the key being formed intoa spring-hook, G. J. ROLLANDET, as and for the purpose set forth. ALFRED J. OBRIEN. 

